Wednesday's Cemetery Information" San Diego's Lost and Forgotten Cemeteries"

Today I went to a talk about cemeteries in San Diego County. Alas it was embarrassing to learn I have lived here for 35 + years this trip and to learn that as late as 1960's, Yes I was here then, that our city government and business people allowed people, groups and agencies to rip out head stones and destroy cemeteries. Keith's Resturant is on a cemetery, does anyone remember that. I think that the one missing in San Ysidro area is also paved over with free way or freeway interchange. A 95 year old lady took me to it so very long ago and when I went hunting I can not find a trace anywhere. Not the Nestor Cemetery that is not the one I mean. They buried many people from the early flood in this cemetery that is missing.
Our Speaker Dr. SETH MALLIOS from SDSU said there are several cemeteries not found yet. One cemetery they ripped the stones out with the cities permission.

Since the speaker was born in Virginia the lack of respect for cemeteries in San Diego has left him in a profound
state of sadness because, as I also know a CEMETERY is a very big deal in Virginia, Maryland region of the mid atlantic states. .

A cemetery can tell you so much about your family and life as it was.

I could have listened to another hour or two of his talking about cemeteries and the sad state our county has left many in, or the complete removal of where they were.,

I am glad we as a society are trying to preserve La Vista Records now and sure wish we could have saved other smaller ones.

I had forgotten that the fires destroyed many markers in our old outlying cemeteries rural area. Fortunately some of them had been already documented.

A word about Dr Seth Mallios, he has worked with the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, in Jamestown VA.

So if you get a chance to listen to this man's talk and your with in San Diego's boundaries or near maybe
one will take heart to help people preserve more of what is disappearing.

We have many lost cemeteries and many of them were small community, very historical ones.

We have many famous people of old buried in various cemeteries.

Cemeteries of today are huge and when planned were away from the cities. The cities have grown up to them.

Prior to the new system of huge cemeteries, the people buried in their back yard or in local church or community areas. The cemetery system has under gone changes over the years. The type of headstones have changed also
in cemeteries.

We were told when bad flu or epidemic happened they limited a funeral to a very short time and the way we treated
funerals changed. People do not tend to mourn ie celebrate death in the manner it was 100 years ago.

Cultures have changed due to necessity also. Cremation is now not allowed everywhere due to the metals in the bodies that admit toxins to the air.

It was a great talk and if one gets a chance to listen to this man talk or you may want to purchase one of the books they have for sale to help them continue their work since their budget was drastically cut this year.